The Building Community Voice Fund (BCVF) is a non-partisan fund established within the NAACP, in collaboration with GSSA, funders, and select partners, to provide grants to 501(c)(3) voter registration and voter turnout initiatives and organizations, including complementary voter education and voter protection programs.
Donor Name: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/20/2024
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
BCVF focuses on down-ballot and local elections where outcomes can have positive influences on Black communities.
The fund recognizes that local government is foundational to American democracy and seeks to advance the democratic principles of representation and equality by supporting local efforts to protect civil rights and foster civic engagement and voter participation in underrepresented Black communities. Experience has demonstrated that the power of voting in local elections can lead to positive changes and sustained increases in civic engagement and voter participation in communities of color, particularly in down-ballot races where office holders have clearly neglected or had adverse impacts on local communities.
Uses of funds
Funds may be used to support leadership, management, coordination, and operations that increase the political voice and representation of the Black community through greater participation and success in local elections. Specific areas of support include voter registration and turnout and may include complementary activities in voter education and protection. Areas of support, all common to local elections and community impact are expected to fall into three categories:
- Research and data analysis to determine priority down-ballot voting jurisdictions, populations, and resonant messaging for motivating and mobilizing voters.
- Central operations, including leadership and management of the grants program and voter contact programming – direct and indirect, that are directed toward down-ballot, local elections.
- State-based activities and operations in the substantive areas of voter registration and turnout, possibly complemented by voter education and protection activities, and also including management and coordination, all of which are directed toward local elections significantly affecting Black communities.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible 501(c)(3) voter registration and turnout initiatives and organizations, including complimentary voter education and protection programs, operating in down-ballot and local elections are encouraged to apply for NAACP Building Community Voice grants. Eligible grant applicants must be or have:
- Agree to work in prescribed BCVF voting jurisdictions.
- Be a nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code
- Have operational capacity in BCVF priority jurisdictions that are competitive and have significant Black populations.
- Have a demonstrated commitment to and capacity for successful implementation of voter registration and voter turnout activities at the local level in Black communities, including voter education and protection where needed.
- Have the interest and capacity to coordinate with national, state, and local NAACP units and other organizations with similar community objectives.
- Provide information to demonstrate staff and infrastructure available for success; strong financial controls; and processes for reporting and monitoring activities and use of funds.
- BCVF elections are defined within these 18 state legislative contests:
- AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, LA, MD, MI, MS, NC, NV, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, and VA.
For more information, visit NAACP.
